101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
SB3209

 

Introduced 2/11/2020, by Sen. Bill Cunningham

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
10 ILCS 5/7-12  from Ch. 46, par. 7-12

    Amends the Election Code. Provides that petitions for nomination shall be filed not more than 143 and not less than 127 days before the primary (rather than not more than 113 days and not less than 106 days before the primary) for the following offices: State, congressional, judicial, county officer, sanitary district, precinct committeeperson, township, committeeperson, ward committeeperson, or an office that comprises more than one county or that is partly in multiple counties. Effective immediately.


LRB101 18016 SMS 67454 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB3209LRB101 18016 SMS 67454 b

1    AN ACT concerning elections.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Election Code is amended by changing Section
57-12 as follows:
 
6    (10 ILCS 5/7-12)  (from Ch. 46, par. 7-12)
7    Sec. 7-12. All petitions for nomination shall be filed by
8mail or in person as follows:
9        (1) Where the nomination is to be made for a State,
10    congressional, or judicial office, or for any office a
11    nomination for which is made for a territorial division or
12    district which comprises more than one county or is partly
13    in one county and partly in another county or counties
14    (including the Fox Metro Water Reclamation District),
15    then, except as otherwise provided in this Section, such
16    petition for nomination shall be filed in the principal
17    office of the State Board of Elections not more than 134
18    113 and not less than 127 106 days prior to the date of the
19    primary, but, in the case of petitions for nomination to
20    fill a vacancy by special election in the office of
21    representative in Congress from this State, such petition
22    for nomination shall be filed in the principal office of
23    the State Board of Elections not more than 85 days and not

 

 

SB3209- 2 -LRB101 18016 SMS 67454 b

1    less than 82 days prior to the date of the primary.
2        Where a vacancy occurs in the office of Supreme,
3    Appellate or Circuit Court Judge within the 3-week period
4    preceding the 106th day before a general primary election,
5    petitions for nomination for the office in which the
6    vacancy has occurred shall be filed in the principal office
7    of the State Board of Elections not more than 92 nor less
8    than 85 days prior to the date of the general primary
9    election.
10        Where the nomination is to be made for delegates or
11    alternate delegates to a national nominating convention,
12    then such petition for nomination shall be filed in the
13    principal office of the State Board of Elections not more
14    than 113 and not less than 106 days prior to the date of
15    the primary; provided, however, that if the rules or
16    policies of a national political party conflict with such
17    requirements for filing petitions for nomination for
18    delegates or alternate delegates to a national nominating
19    convention, the chair of the State central committee of
20    such national political party shall notify the Board in
21    writing, citing by reference the rules or policies of the
22    national political party in conflict, and in such case the
23    Board shall direct such petitions to be filed in accordance
24    with the delegate selection plan adopted by the state
25    central committee of such national political party.
26        (2) Where the nomination is to be made for a county

 

 

SB3209- 3 -LRB101 18016 SMS 67454 b

1    office or trustee of a sanitary district then such petition
2    shall be filed in the office of the county clerk not more
3    than 134 113 nor less than 127 106 days prior to the date
4    of the primary.
5        (3) Where the nomination is to be made for a municipal
6    or township office, such petitions for nomination shall be
7    filed in the office of the local election official, not
8    more than 99 nor less than 92 days prior to the date of the
9    primary; provided, where a municipality's or township's
10    boundaries are coextensive with or are entirely within the
11    jurisdiction of a municipal board of election
12    commissioners, the petitions shall be filed in the office
13    of such board; and provided, that petitions for the office
14    of multi-township assessor shall be filed with the election
15    authority.
16        (4) The petitions of candidates for State central
17    committeeperson shall be filed in the principal office of
18    the State Board of Elections not more than 113 nor less
19    than 106 days prior to the date of the primary.
20        (5) Petitions of candidates for precinct, township or
21    ward committeepersons shall be filed in the office of the
22    county clerk not more than 134 113 nor less than 127 106
23    days prior to the date of the primary.
24        (6) The State Board of Elections and the various
25    election authorities and local election officials with
26    whom such petitions for nominations are filed shall specify

 

 

SB3209- 4 -LRB101 18016 SMS 67454 b

1    the place where filings shall be made and upon receipt
2    shall endorse thereon the day and hour on which each
3    petition was filed. All petitions filed by persons waiting
4    in line as of 8:00 a.m. on the first day for filing, or as
5    of the normal opening hour of the office involved on such
6    day, shall be deemed filed as of 8:00 a.m. or the normal
7    opening hour, as the case may be. Petitions filed by mail
8    and received after midnight of the first day for filing and
9    in the first mail delivery or pickup of that day shall be
10    deemed as filed as of 8:00 a.m. of that day or as of the
11    normal opening hour of such day, as the case may be. All
12    petitions received thereafter shall be deemed as filed in
13    the order of actual receipt. However, 2 or more petitions
14    filed within the last hour of the filing deadline shall be
15    deemed filed simultaneously. Where 2 or more petitions are
16    received simultaneously, the State Board of Elections or
17    the various election authorities or local election
18    officials with whom such petitions are filed shall break
19    ties and determine the order of filing, by means of a
20    lottery or other fair and impartial method of random
21    selection approved by the State Board of Elections. Such
22    lottery shall be conducted within 9 days following the last
23    day for petition filing and shall be open to the public.
24    Seven days written notice of the time and place of
25    conducting such random selection shall be given by the
26    State Board of Elections to the chair of the State central

 

 

SB3209- 5 -LRB101 18016 SMS 67454 b

1    committee of each established political party, and by each
2    election authority or local election official, to the
3    County Chair of each established political party, and to
4    each organization of citizens within the election
5    jurisdiction which was entitled, under this Article, at the
6    next preceding election, to have pollwatchers present on
7    the day of election. The State Board of Elections, election
8    authority or local election official shall post in a
9    conspicuous, open and public place, at the entrance of the
10    office, notice of the time and place of such lottery. The
11    State Board of Elections shall adopt rules and regulations
12    governing the procedures for the conduct of such lottery.
13    All candidates shall be certified in the order in which
14    their petitions have been filed. Where candidates have
15    filed simultaneously, they shall be certified in the order
16    determined by lot and prior to candidates who filed for the
17    same office at a later time.
18        (7) The State Board of Elections or the appropriate
19    election authority or local election official with whom
20    such a petition for nomination is filed shall notify the
21    person for whom a petition for nomination has been filed of
22    the obligation to file statements of organization, reports
23    of campaign contributions, and annual reports of campaign
24    contributions and expenditures under Article 9 of this Act.
25    Such notice shall be given in the manner prescribed by
26    paragraph (7) of Section 9-16 of this Code.

 

 

SB3209- 6 -LRB101 18016 SMS 67454 b

1        (8) Nomination papers filed under this Section are not
2    valid if the candidate named therein fails to file a
3    statement of economic interests as required by the Illinois
4    Governmental Ethics Act in relation to his candidacy with
5    the appropriate officer by the end of the period for the
6    filing of nomination papers unless he has filed a statement
7    of economic interests in relation to the same governmental
8    unit with that officer within a year preceding the date on
9    which such nomination papers were filed. If the nomination
10    papers of any candidate and the statement of economic
11    interest of that candidate are not required to be filed
12    with the same officer, the candidate must file with the
13    officer with whom the nomination papers are filed a receipt
14    from the officer with whom the statement of economic
15    interests is filed showing the date on which such statement
16    was filed. Such receipt shall be so filed not later than
17    the last day on which nomination papers may be filed.
18        (9) Any person for whom a petition for nomination, or
19    for committeeperson or for delegate or alternate delegate
20    to a national nominating convention has been filed may
21    cause his name to be withdrawn by request in writing,
22    signed by him and duly acknowledged before an officer
23    qualified to take acknowledgments of deeds, and filed in
24    the principal or permanent branch office of the State Board
25    of Elections or with the appropriate election authority or
26    local election official, not later than the date of

 

 

SB3209- 7 -LRB101 18016 SMS 67454 b

1    certification of candidates for the consolidated primary
2    or general primary ballot. No names so withdrawn shall be
3    certified or printed on the primary ballot. If petitions
4    for nomination have been filed for the same person with
5    respect to more than one political party, his name shall
6    not be certified nor printed on the primary ballot of any
7    party. If petitions for nomination have been filed for the
8    same person for 2 or more offices which are incompatible so
9    that the same person could not serve in more than one of
10    such offices if elected, that person must withdraw as a
11    candidate for all but one of such offices within the 5
12    business days following the last day for petition filing. A
13    candidate in a judicial election may file petitions for
14    nomination for only one vacancy in a subcircuit and only
15    one vacancy in a circuit in any one filing period, and if
16    petitions for nomination have been filed for the same
17    person for 2 or more vacancies in the same circuit or
18    subcircuit in the same filing period, his or her name shall
19    be certified only for the first vacancy for which the
20    petitions for nomination were filed. If he fails to
21    withdraw as a candidate for all but one of such offices
22    within such time his name shall not be certified, nor
23    printed on the primary ballot, for any office. For the
24    purpose of the foregoing provisions, an office in a
25    political party is not incompatible with any other office.
26        (10)(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other

 

 

SB3209- 8 -LRB101 18016 SMS 67454 b

1    statute, no primary shall be held for an established
2    political party in any township, municipality, or ward
3    thereof, where the nomination of such party for every
4    office to be voted upon by the electors of such township,
5    municipality, or ward thereof, is uncontested. Whenever a
6    political party's nomination of candidates is uncontested
7    as to one or more, but not all, of the offices to be voted
8    upon by the electors of a township, municipality, or ward
9    thereof, then a primary shall be held for that party in
10    such township, municipality, or ward thereof; provided
11    that the primary ballot shall not include those offices
12    within such township, municipality, or ward thereof, for
13    which the nomination is uncontested. For purposes of this
14    Article, the nomination of an established political party
15    of a candidate for election to an office shall be deemed to
16    be uncontested where not more than the number of persons to
17    be nominated have timely filed valid nomination papers
18    seeking the nomination of such party for election to such
19    office.
20        (b) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other
21    statute, no primary election shall be held for an
22    established political party for any special primary
23    election called for the purpose of filling a vacancy in the
24    office of representative in the United States Congress
25    where the nomination of such political party for said
26    office is uncontested. For the purposes of this Article,

 

 

SB3209- 9 -LRB101 18016 SMS 67454 b

1    the nomination of an established political party of a
2    candidate for election to said office shall be deemed to be
3    uncontested where not more than the number of persons to be
4    nominated have timely filed valid nomination papers
5    seeking the nomination of such established party for
6    election to said office. This subsection (b) shall not
7    apply if such primary election is conducted on a regularly
8    scheduled election day.
9        (c) Notwithstanding the provisions in subparagraph (a)
10    and (b) of this paragraph (10), whenever a person who has
11    not timely filed valid nomination papers and who intends to
12    become a write-in candidate for a political party's
13    nomination for any office for which the nomination is
14    uncontested files a written statement or notice of that
15    intent with the State Board of Elections or the local
16    election official with whom nomination papers for such
17    office are filed, a primary ballot shall be prepared and a
18    primary shall be held for that office. Such statement or
19    notice shall be filed on or before the date established in
20    this Article for certifying candidates for the primary
21    ballot. Such statement or notice shall contain (i) the name
22    and address of the person intending to become a write-in
23    candidate, (ii) a statement that the person is a qualified
24    primary elector of the political party from whom the
25    nomination is sought, (iii) a statement that the person
26    intends to become a write-in candidate for the party's

 

 

SB3209- 10 -LRB101 18016 SMS 67454 b

1    nomination, and (iv) the office the person is seeking as a
2    write-in candidate. An election authority shall have no
3    duty to conduct a primary and prepare a primary ballot for
4    any office for which the nomination is uncontested unless a
5    statement or notice meeting the requirements of this
6    Section is filed in a timely manner.
7        (11) If multiple sets of nomination papers are filed
8    for a candidate to the same office, the State Board of
9    Elections, appropriate election authority or local
10    election official where the petitions are filed shall
11    within 2 business days notify the candidate of his or her
12    multiple petition filings and that the candidate has 3
13    business days after receipt of the notice to notify the
14    State Board of Elections, appropriate election authority
15    or local election official that he or she may cancel prior
16    sets of petitions. If the candidate notifies the State
17    Board of Elections, appropriate election authority or
18    local election official, the last set of petitions filed
19    shall be the only petitions to be considered valid by the
20    State Board of Elections, election authority or local
21    election official. If the candidate fails to notify the
22    State Board of Elections, election authority or local
23    election official then only the first set of petitions
24    filed shall be valid and all subsequent petitions shall be
25    void.
26        (12) All nominating petitions shall be available for

 

 

SB3209- 11 -LRB101 18016 SMS 67454 b

1    public inspection and shall be preserved for a period of
2    not less than 6 months.
3(Source: P.A. 100-1027, eff. 1-1-19; 101-523, eff. 8-23-19.)
 
4    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
5becoming law.